BOSTON – Observations from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute suggested that Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitors used to treat blood cancers might also be effective in controlling “cytokine storms,” the exaggerated immune response associated with COVID-19 in...
CLL Treatments Shift Significantly at VHA From 2013-2018
DENVER, CO – Since the first novel agent was approved for use in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients in 2014, how have treatment regimens changed at the VHA? That was the question behind a presentation at the recent 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncologists...
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Most Common Malignancy in HIV Patients on Dialysis
AUGUSTA, GA — Patients with HIV and/or end-stage renal disease receiving dialysis appear to have an increased risk of developing malignancies, but little research has been conducted on cancer in patients with both conditions. A study in Clinical Kidney Journal sought...
Chinese Researchers Describe a COVID-19 Case in a CLL Patient
WENZHOU, CHINA -- Since 1993, nearly 30,000 veterans have received care for chronic lymphocytic leukemia at the VA. CLL patients tend to be older and male, as are many veterans, and CLL also is considered a presumptive condition for veterans exposed to Agent Orange or...
Ibrutinib Helps Limit Mantle Cell Lymphoma Progression After AutoSCT
SEATTLE – Can autologous stem cell transplantation extend remission of mantle cell lymphoma? A study published in the journal Blood Research said the procedure could do that but also cautioned that the management of subsequent MCL relapse can be challenging. VA Puget...
Agent Orange Exposure Appears to Worsen MGUS Progression
DETROIT - Agent Orange exposure by military personnel has been linked with multiple malignant and nonmalignant conditions, including monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. MGUS is an indolent, premalignant plasma cell disorder with the potential of...
Lipid Trait Variants Don’t Appear to Be Linked to NHL Subtypes
ROCHESTER, MN – Noting that studies linking lipid traits to risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma have been inconclusive, new research examined the association of genetically predicted lipid traits with risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), chronic lymphocytic...
Veteran Study Looks at Thrombotic Events in Polycythemia Vera Patients
SAN ANTONIO—Patients with polycythemia vera face an elevated risk of thromboembolic events and cardiovascular disease, compared to patients with other myeloproliferative disorders. A German-led study last year in Annals of Hematology pointed out that CV conditions are...
Link Found Between Taller Adult Height, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Risk
BETHESDA, MD – Is taller adult height associated with an increased risk of some non-Hodgkin lymphoma subtypes? An international study led by the National Cancer Institute and partially funded by the VA’s research service sought to determine how height, which is...
Little Improvement for Veterans with Co-Existing HIV, Burkitt Lymphoma
HOUSTON — Diagnosis and treatment of both HIV and Burkitt lymphoma has significantly improved in the last two decades, although HIV patients remain at high risk for the lymphoma. A report in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome discussed the results of...
Human Pegivirus Infection Linked With Lymphoma, Major Subtypes
ROCHESTER, MN – Although not widely known, human pegivirus, also called GBV-C virus or hepatitis G virus-HGV, is globally prevalent and is believed to infect between one-sixth and one-third of the world's population. Past research has suggested that, in economically...
Study Looks at Cachexia After Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT) is an accepted strategy for various hematologic malignancies but can lead to functional impairment, fatigue, muscle wasting, and reduced quality of life, according to a new study.
Older Veterans Had Higher Risk of Bleomycin Pulmonary Toxicity After HL Therapy
Until recently, for patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma, the relationship between increasing age and bleomycin pulmonary toxicity (BPT) remained unclear.
Chemo-immunotherapy and Older Patients Before New CLL Treatments
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Even though chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a disease of older adults, with median age of 68 years at diagnosis, clinical trials on chemo-immunotherapy agents rarely included patients of advanced age, according to a new study. Noting the strong...
Multiple Myeloma Treatment Linked to More Secondary Malignancies in Veterans
BOSTON – While treatment of and survival with multiple myeloma has dramatically improved with better therapeutic options, concerns have been raised about a concurrent increase in second primary malignancies that appear to be related to treatment. A presentation at the...
No Evidence That Military Trauma Increases Risk of Hematologic Malignancies
FAIRFIELD, CA – Does trauma play a role in the development of blood cancer? A recent study of wounded warriors sought to answer that question. A presentation at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando recounted that multiple...
With Equal Care, African Americans With Multiple Myeloma Outlive Others
BOSTON—A recent VA study has shed new light on racial disparities in multiple myeloma. “Previous work examined survival and treatment in multiple myeloma in the broader U.S. healthcare system and found disparities in survival,” said study co-author Nathanael Fillmore,...
VA Conducts Largest Real-World Study of Newer CLL Treatment Options
Research Offers Insight into Evolving Clinical Practice SAN ANTONIO—The massive VA health database revealed unique insights into the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia in actual clinical practice to a team of researchers based at the South Texas Veterans Health...
Recombinant Shingles Vaccine Appears Safe for Some CLL Patients
BETHESDA, MD – Because of immune dysregulation, chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients are especially vulnerable to infectious complications, including varicella zoster virus reactivation. Both their advanced age and immunocompromised status play a role in higher risk...
Study Finds Discontinuation Rates Too High at VA for Newer CLL Therapies
SALT LAKE CITY -- Novel oral agents (NOAs), such as acalabrutinib, duvelisib, ibrutinib, idelalisib and venetoclax are increasingly used instead of traditional chemoimmunotherapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the most common leukemia in adults. A presentation at...
Veterans Treated for CLL Had Higher Rates of Fungal Infections
LOUIS -- Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) are susceptible to infections due to impaired immunity, from both complications of disease and treatments. A presentation at the 61st American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, FL,...
How Common is Major Hemorrhage in Veterans With CLL?
COLUMBIA, SC – Noting that chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients are at increased risk for major hemorrhage (MH), a new study reported incidence of MH in veterans with CLL, as well as risk factors. The study, published in Cancer Medicine, was conducted before...
Initial Use of Ibrutinib Lengthens Next Treatment Time for Veterans with CLL
HORSHAM, PA – Veterans with chronic lymphocytic lymphoma who received ibrutinib as their first line treatment had a longer time to next treatment, according to recently-published research. Authors of the industry study, which was conducted in a real-world veteran...
Assay Used to Investigate Familial Risk of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
ROCHESTER, MN – About 10% of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients report a first-degree relative with the cancer or a related lymphoproliferative disorder, according to a new study, which emphasized that CLL and its precursor, monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis...
Certain Hematologic Malignancies Increase Head/Neck Tumors
PORTLAND, OR—With more than 1.3 million people in the United States having been diagnosed with a hematologic malignant tumor currently or in remission, previous research has suggested an increased risk of secondary neoplasms. Yet, the report in JAMA Otolaryngoly said...
VA Study: Anemia Often Overlooked in IBD Patients
HOUSTON—Anemia is a common complication of inflammatory bowel disease, and existing guidelines urge vigilance for the condition. Yet, according to a study in Digestive Diseases & Sciences, it is frequently undertreated, resulting in the prevalence remaining high.1...
Tracking Major Hemorrhage Risk Factors in CLL Patients
COLUMBIA, SC—Understanding that chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients are at increased risk for major hemorrhage, a study published in Cancer Medicine examined incidence of and risk factors for MH in CLL patients before introduction of newer CLL therapies such as...
VA Research Demonstrates Importance of Personalization in DLBCL Treatment
Diffuse large b-cell lymphoma accounts for approximately one-third of all cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is classified by the VA as a presumptive disease for veterans exposed to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.
Army Research Challenges Long-Standing Platelet Storage Recommendations
For nearly 50 years, platelets have been stored at room temperature. Research conducted by investigators at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research Center in San Antonio very well could change that.